SRI LANKA: RESOLUTION OF CHILD SOLDIERS ISSUE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000728

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
USAID/DCHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RESOLUTION OF CHILD SOLDIERS ISSUE IN
SIGHT

REF: COLOMBO 000229

Classified By: A/DCM REBBECA W. COHN. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)


1. (SBU) Summary. A/DCM, Poloff, and USAID met withUNICEF
Representative and Protection Officer on July 17 to discuss
GSL progress on facilitating release and rehabilitation of
TMVP and LTTE child soldiers. UNICEF shared their data on
under-age recruitment and noted progress on a number of
fronts. The Government of Sri Lanka acting through the
Commissioner General for Rehabilitation has developed a new
rehabilitation center for 454 former LTTE child soldiers in
Vavuniya with UNICEF financial and technical support. UNICEF
collaborated on an information campaign with the GSL that has
had an important impact and changed perceptions of the need
to rehabilitate child soldiers. Memoranda of Understanding
and a tripartite agreement with the GSL in UNICEF,s view
demonstrate GSL commitment to resolving the child soldier
issue. Importantly, TMVP underage recruiters in Batticaloa
have been arrested by the police. Challenges remain, but the
focus has turned from underage recruitment to providing
rehabilitation and tracing outstanding cases: 63 LTTE and 24
TMVP. UNICEF assesses that the GSL is fully committed to
the goal of eliminating child soldiers and that a complete
resolution of this problem could be possible by the end of
the year. UNICEF observed that support from the United
States has been a crucial factor in achieving this progress.
End Summary.

GSL Fully Engaged
--------------


2. (SBU) A/DCM, Poloff and USAID met with UNICEF on July 17
to discuss GSL progress on child soldiers. Phillippe
Duamelle, UNICEF's Representative in Sri Lanka, reported that
the GSL is fully engaged on child soldiers. UNICEF staff said
that while the Security Council would be unlikely to delist
the TVMP, considerable progress has been achieved and it was
reasonable to expect a complete end to the child soldier
problem in Sri Lanka by the end of the year. UNICEF credits
the US's active engagement on this, as well as the
championing of this issue by key Sri Lankans, with bringing
about the GSL's change of perspective and forward movement on
this issue.


3. (SBU) UNICEF gave particular credit to Justice Secretary
and Commissioner of Rehabilitation, Suhada Gamalath.
Gamalath has conducted a vigorous public awareness campaign
and worked to transmit the GSL's zero tolerance message down
to the operational level. At least one former TMVP recruiter
has been arrested, a charge that has a 30 year jail term.
Other recruiters have been warned of the need to surrender
the 24 outstanding TMVP underage children or face police
arrest. Importantly, both Minister of Reconciliation Karuna,
and Eastern Province Chief Minister Pillaiyan agree that the
4 to 5 remaining TMVP recruiters should be dealt with by the
police authorities.


4. (SBU) UNICEF noted that Gamalath has ensured that the
GSL's actions have been in accordance with obligations under
Security Council Resolution 1612 which covers the period from
15 September 2007 to 31 January 2009. In particular, UNICEF
observed that the GSL's December Emergency Decree took the
correct tone of rehabilitation over criminalization of former
child soldiers and stressed the importance of this stance.
Prior to entering the rehabilitation camps, the children must
be interviewed by a magistrate who has seen the proposed
relocation site. The magistrate also must produce a document
that authorizes a three month stay, which can be renewed for
a further three times, leading to a maximum rehabilitation

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time of one year.

Making Progress in the North
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5. (SBU) UNICEF staff said they have what they consider to
be an accurate and comprehensive database on child soldiers
in the north. None of the 454 child soldiers (299 males and
155 females) they have recently identified was previously in
their database. They said there was a large spike in LTTE
recruitment in February and March. They have been unable to
account for 63 children who were in UNICEF,s database and
are now presumed dead. UNICEF is attempting to correlate the
1356 children in their database who were recruited as
children but are now over 18 with the 10,000 plus former
combatants that ICRC has registered. Government restrictions
on access to this information has made this more difficult.


6. (SBU) UNICEF reported that former child soldiers have been
extremely impressed with their reception in the
rehabilitation camps and that this has been an important
confidence building measure to reassure them that they will
be rehabilitated rather than criminalized. UNICEF staff
pointed out that while rehabilitation might seem
inappropriate given the short length of the time some of them
served as child soldiers, the camps offer additional
protection for the children. There are currently two
rehabilitation camps, a large one in Vavuniya with 454 former
LTTE children and a smaller one in Ambepussa for 130 former
LTTE as well as former TMVP underage combatants. NOTE: USAID
has an ongoing $250,000 grant with UNICEF to support the
Ambepussa rehabilitation center.

Wrapping Up in the East
--------------


7. (SBU) UNICEF said that there had been a great deal of
progress in the East with TMVP underage combatants and that
more should be made in the coming weeks. According to their
numbers, there are approximately 24 open TMVP cases. The GSL
has informed UNICEF that the leadership of the TMVP groups
have agreed that four or five currently known recruiters
should be arrested and the police are working to do so as
soon as possible.


8. (SBU) COMMENT: UNICEF had a positive view of both the
GSL's intentions and actions on addressing child soldiers.
Post shares UNICEF's positive assessment of the role that
Secretary Gamalath has played as an engaging and responsive
partner on this issue. Post assesses that the end of the
year is a realistic target for resolving the child soldier
issue and will continue to work with the GSL toward that
goal.
MOORE